Vessel in New York Closes Indefinitely After Fourth Suicide

The Vessel, a monumental honeycomb-shaped sculpture by British architect Thomas Heatherwick at Hudson Yards in Manhattan, has closed indefinitely after a 14-year-old boy jumped to his death on July 29, 2021, marking the fourth suicide at the site in 18 months. The structure, which opened in 2019, has been plagued by safety concerns since its first suicide in February 2020. Despite repeated calls from community members and local council member Lowell Kern to install higher safety barriers, the designers resisted altering the artwork. An employee of Heatherwick's studio expressed frustration, stating that safety barriers were designed long ago and should be installed. After reopening in May 2021 with new protocols—including a $10 entry fee and mandatory accompaniment—the measures proved ineffective. The Vessel's 15 stories, 154 interconnected staircases, and 80 viewing platforms overlook the Hudson River. In 2017, architecture critic Audrey Wachs had warned about the risk, noting that the balconies only reached waist height. Related Companies, the real estate developer behind Hudson Yards, is now consulting suicide prevention experts and psychiatrists, and plans to install higher railings before any future reopening. The closure casts uncertainty over the future of Hudson Yards, the largest private real estate development in U.S. history.